Haitian Creole

Is "msuspek" a word or slang term in creole? Does it mean something?

No it's not a slang

Msuspek (m sispèk, mwen sispèk) - I am suspicious of, I have suspicion

sispek - to be suspicious of

example:

1. Poukisa ou sispèk mwen konsa?

Whay are you so suspicious of me?

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Mandaly, is there an English word for the H. Creole word 'cheran'? mesi.

I am not sure what the English word would be.

cheran (adj.) - someone with whom you can't haggle over the price of an item. A person who is "cheran" sells his item/service at a high price and is unwavering and persistent at keeping that price.

an example

Machin nan pa menm mache enpi w'ap mande wi mil dola pou li. Ou twò cheran monchè. - The car doesn’t even run and you're asking eight thousand dollars for it. You are too “cheran”.

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How do you use gwo san in a sentence? Does it have different meanings?

gwo san (adj.) - short-tempered

Use the verb "gen" or "genyen" with GWO SAN.

1.

M pa vle annafè ak Joanne. Li gen gwo san. – I don’t want to deal with Joanne. She is short-tempered.

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grenadye alaso? otaj? rime? planche?

Grenadye alaso! - Soldiers, attack! (From French Grenadiers á l'assaut!)

There's this song (song of war from Haiti) you may have heard.

Grenadye alaso soldiers attack
Sa ki mouri zafè a yo (bis) Those who die , so what
Nanpwen manman, napwen papa there’s no mom, there’s no dad
Sa ki mouri zafè a yo Those who die, so what

Otaj – hostage

Rime (need to have this in a sentence). There’s arimen (to stack up), and anrimen (to have a cold), or fè rimay (to make gestures)

planche – wooden floor

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jibye?

jibye - any wild animal hunted for food, game

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How do you say PREREQUISITE in Creole?

Prerequisite - prereki

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Okay I'm trying to understand this Facebook post in creole it says “We monche ou pap tounen nan DuPont menm”

Sometimes we say “wè” instead of “wi”.

“wè monchè, ou pa tounen nan Dupont menm”

“yes friend, you have not come back to Dupont at all.”

“Yes, you have not gone back to Dupont at all.”

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Mandaly madame what is "ou pasab" - Is it a compliment?

A compliment .... maybe (that depends on a lot of things)

pasab - satisfactory, not bad, acceptable
Ou pasab - You're ok

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The amazing lessons on your blog continue! Thank you so much, Mandaly! Would you be able to recommend a few Creole translators or translation companies that could handle things like translating longer reports and forms from English-to-Creole and Creole-to-English? If you recommend them, I would feel more comfortable working with them. Mesi anpil!

Wi :) Leson yo ap kontinye nèt ale.

I like the work of the translators at Freelang.net and that of ALTA Language Services.
I have proofread their work.
The team at ALTA can get a little expensive, but they are good.

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Madanm. What is the correct way to use mo "monche" (man) an Kreyol? Is it only a term of endearment to people you know very well, or is it used more informally? E ki jan ou di an Kreyol Ayisyen mo "apocalypse", like the book of Revelation in the Bible? I cannot find it anywhere. Yon gran mesi.

It is used more informally. It basically means "my friend" , "my comrade", "pal", "buddy". It can also translate the informal expression man!
You always use it for males. For females you would use machè in the same context.
Here are some examples:

1. Sa’k pase monchè? - What’s up man?

2. Monchè, pa janm fè m ankò. – Man, don’t ever do that to me again.

Sometimes you use it in a sentence as an expression, but do not have to translate it in English. For example:

3. Monchè, ou sanwont! – You are shameless!

4. Ale non monchè! – Go!

5. Chita non monchè! – Sit down!

Monchè is also an expression which may express surprise, shock, disgust, or disbelief. For example:

6. Monchè! M pa ta janm kwè ou ta fè m sa. - I would have never believed that you would do that to me.

7. Monchè! M wont pou ou! - Shame on you.

8. Monchè o! – (expression of disbelief)

and ....

Regarding translation of “Apocaplypse”, we do say Apokalips or Revelasyon in Creole.

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M, please don't forget my message about rum terminology...;)

Oke dakò zanmi. Mwen va reponn li aswè a. Mèsi pou pasyans ou :)

Kenbe la.

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plon gaye a? zoklo? please.

plon gaye - buckshot
zoklo (n.) - unfaithfulness (to one s.o), a punch on the head with one's knuckles
bay zoklo (v.) - to cheat on your s.o. To be unfaithful; and also to punch someone on the head with your knuckles

egzanp:
L'ap bay madanm nan zoklo.

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mefyans?

mefyans - suspicion, mistrust

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Mandaly. In the course I am using, they say "M isit la depi yon semenn." for "I have been here for one week." Would it not be more correct to use "M te isit la depi yon semenn." for the past tense, or are both just as correct? By the way Madanmm, which form of "week" do you use in Kreyol? "semen, semenn oubyen senmenn?" Mesi anpil.

Actually “M isit la depi yon semèn.” Is correct.

It expresses an event/action that started to happen in the past and continue to happen in the present.

If you had “I had been here for one week”, then you could translate it as “M te isit la depi you semèn."

And regarding the spelling of “semèn”, all three forms are acceptable in Creole.

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Is there an expression in Creole that is equivalent to: "That catches my eye" or "that really stands out"?

There can be different expressions:
How do you want to use it?

To stand out - atire atansyon, atire lespri, resòti, rete devan zye
to catch "my" eye - atire atansyon mwen, danse nan tet mwen, danse nan lespri m

That catches my eye.
Sa atire atansyon mwen.

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How would you say: "There is a dent in my car" or "That car has a dent"?

to get a scrape (a big dent) - kolboso.

My car has dent. - Machin mwen kolboso.

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Hola Mandaly,ki sa sa vle di mo "tanto" nan HC epi kijan mwen ka itilize mo sa a,mesi.

In Creole it means sometimes, at times
You can also translate it as one minute ....., and the next.....

Example:
1.

Konpòtman nonm sa a iregilye. Tanto l kontan, tanto l fache.

This man’s behavior is shifty. Sometimes he’s happy, sometimes he’s angry.

Fanm sa a pa konn sa l vle. Tanto l di vle marye, tanto l di li rayi gason.

This woman doesn’t know what she wants. Sometimes she says she wants to get married, sometimes she says she hates men.

Fanfan poko ka deside ki machin li vle achte. Tanto se Toyota l vle, Tanto se Nissan li vle.

Fanfan can decide which car he wantd to buy yet. One minute he wants a Toyota, and the next minute he wants a Nissan.

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What is the value of 5000 pwevwa pwosperitse

I don't think it's real money.
I have seen it before.

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I need some lessons in writing letters.. To start by saying "Dear..." and to end.."sincerely" but also by saying ."Hope things are ....” thanks...james

You might find this link helpful: Beginning and ending a letter

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Bonjou Mandaly! Quick question. Eske genyen moun ki di mo shobwa? Means root/tree stump in kreyol , but also refers to a relationship. My father and granma knew the meaning , but my mother was confused. I was told it was a saying moun andeyo di. Can I get some examples mesi anpil!

I am familiar with chouk bwa, souch bwa, or choukèt bwa which means tree stump.

It is very likely that 'cho bwa' is used in the outskirts of some regions of Haiti.

Chouk (souch, or choukèt) is a stump (of a tree, of a tooth); it is also the stub of a paper check …. yon souch chèk a check stub

It can be used as a verb “chouke” - to be planted, to be rooted

Example:

Lè madanm nan tande se zen k’ap bay anba tonèl la, li vin chouke kò l la, li pa janm deplase.

When the woman heard all the gossips spilled under the “straw” shed, she came and planted herself there and never moved.

byen kore, or byen chouke, or byen plante – firmly rooted

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Dear Mandaly, I just saw your videos on creole definite articles. They were a pleasure to watch. Although, I have a couple of questions concerning the definite articles.What do you think when the vowel "i" ending a word but preceded by a nasalized consonant? For example, "fanmi an" or "mi an". What do yo think when when a word ends in a nasalized consonant, it is not only followed by "nan" but also "lan" indifferently? I have heard haitians and even me using both of them interchangeably. For example, "machin nan/lan", "plim nan/lan" or "moun nan/lan". What about words ending in "ng" or "gn", do they take "nan" as well as "lan" or only "nan"? For example, "Bilding nan or lan", "Djòging nan or lan" or "boling nan or lan". In case you didn't know, they translate "building", "jogging", and "bowling" respectively. Let me know what you think of those because they were not covered in your videos.

"What do you think when the vowel "i" ending a word but preceded by a nasalized consonant? For example, "fanmi an" or "mi an". "

You would think that the article for fanmi is “a”, but it is “an”... because of the nasal sound in the first syllable of the word. The same goes for zanmi, jenou (where “ou” is nasal), lanmou, mi (“m” is nasal), etc… When you see these words, you might be looking at the vowel at the end, but you should think about the sound instead. If ou start with a nasal sound, you're prone to end with a nasal sounds. When you say "zanmi", it feels more natural to add "an" at the end then to add "a".

.......

What do yo think when when a word ends in a nasalized consonant, it is not only followed by "nan" but also "lan" indifferently? I have heard haitians and even me using both of them interchangeably. For example, "machin nan/lan", "plim nan/lan" or "moun nan/lan".

In some regions of Haiti, they don’t use “nan” for article. Where I am from, we use it. Mr Paultre who translated the 1999 version of the KJV bible does not use “nan”. He uses “lan”. I don't think you'll find "nan" as a definite article in that version of the Creole bible.

....

What about words ending in "ng" or "gn", do they take "nan" as well as "lan" or only "nan"? For example, "Bilding nan or lan", "Djòging nan or lan" or "boling nan or lan". In case you didn't know, they translate "building", "jogging", and "bowling" respectively.

The rule for the words that end in “ng” is the same as the rule for the words that end in “n” or “m” sound.

It’s either “nan” or “lan” depending on where you’re from.

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This is regarding the question about fighting fire with fire, can you translate it as gwo manman pare pou zepina e zepina pare pou gwo manman.

The expression "gwo manman pare pou zepina, zepina pare pou gwo manman tou" basically means I'm ready whenever you are. (ready to defend myself, ready to go on the offensive)
Used, for example, between two people having a fight.

I am not sure it's about retaliation which is what fighting fire for fire means.

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Can "tanndat + time construction" be an equivalent to "se fè + time construction" and "sa gen + times construction" expressing "for" or "since" in a declarative and interrogative sentence? Also, in different tenses like the futures tenses and other tenses(conditional tense, all past tenses) if they exist?

Non, it will not work well here.

I am reposting your examples with corrections :)
Enpi, mwen nimewote egzanp yo pou pi bon referans.

..........

Your examples:
1.
"I have been working for nine hours."
~~"Tanndat nevèd tan ke mwen travay."~~
"Sa fè(sa gen) nevèd tan ke ~~mwen~~ m'ap travay"

or you can also say:

Mwen gen nevèd tan depi m'ap travay.

2.
"It has been raining for five days."
~~"Tanndat senk jou ke li fè lapli~~."
"Sa fè(sa gen) senk jou ke l'ap fè lapli."

or you can also say:

"Sa fè senk jou depi l'ap fè lapli."

3.
"I have been in Paris for three weeks."
~~"Tanndat twa semèn ke mwen nan Pari."~~
"Sa fè(sa gen) twa semèn ke mwen nan Pari."

or you can also say:

"Sa fè twa semèn depi m a Pari." Most of the time we say a Pari instead of nan Pari

"(For)How long have you been studying French?"
~~"Tanndat konbyen tan ou etidye fransè?" or "konbyen tan tanndat ou etidye fransè?~~
"Sa fè(se gen) konbyen tan w'ap ou etidye Fransè? or "konbyen tan sa fè(sa gen) depi w'ap ou etidye Fransè?

5.

"How long have you been in Quebec?"
~~"Konbyen lè tanndat ou nan Quebec? or "Tanndat konbyen lè ou nan Quebec?"~~
~~"Konbyen lè sa fè (sa gen) ou nan Quebec? or "Sa fè(sa gen) konbyen lè ou nan Quebec?"~~
You can say:
"Konbyen tan sa fè depi ou Kebek?

6.
"It will be six weeks tomorrow since Paul left."
~~"Tanndat pral sis semèn demen ke Paul pati."~~
"Sa pral fè(sa pral gen) sis semèn ke depi Paul pati."

7.
"It will soon be a year since the president's resgination."
~~"Tanndat youn ane talè ke prezidan an demisyone."~~
"Sa pral fè(sa pral gen) youn ane talè ke depi prezidan an demisyone."

Feel free to correct any grammatical errors you spot, feel free to add any more grammar constructions, words, or phrases pertaining to this topic, feel free to be as detailed as possible. I want to know as much as I can.

Posted by kal to Haitian Creole at November 10, 2013 at 7:35 PM

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Someone says wa gentan konnen, and that means what exactly?

Do not translate this literally.
It indicates an impending threat.
as in:
W'a gentan konnen....
Soon you'll know what's coming to you...

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Bonjou, m' rele David. I do not understand how to determine when the definite determiner comes at the end of a sentence.

Bonjou David,

You mean the definite article?
Some people say there are three, some say there are four definite articles in Haitian Creole.
But I say ... you will see five!

You will see:

a - as in kiyè a (the spoon)
an – as in tan an (the time)
la – as in tab la (the table)
lan- as in lank lan (the ink)
nan – as in chanm nan (the room) [people from some regions may say chanm lan instead of chanm nan]
and...
There are some exceptions, such as:
we say zanmi an instead of zanmi a, lanmou an instead of lanmou a, etc...

You'll find the answers in the following links: The definite articles

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Bonswa! Do you know of any good online resources with lists of Creole-English translations (ex: basic vocabulary, phrases, verbs ). I work at a hospital and in Haiti and I help the timoun who hang around the clinic with their English lessons. They asked if I could print out any resources for them. Mesi anpil!

Try this site: http://www.kreyol.com/dictionary.html

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In English, when someone responds in kind to an aggressive manner, we say "you have to fight fire with fire". Is there any way of expressing that in Creole?

You can use the followings:

Se pou w remèt èy pou èy, dan pou dan.

Se pou w twoke kòn ou tenkantenk avèk ...

Se pou w koresponn dan pou dan avèk ...

Or

Se pou w koresponn dife pou dife avèk ...

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I see that heart is kè, Is there a different way or word to express heart as in an emotion, like as in "with all my heart"..."or you are my heart" ?

"kè" is generally used for "heart" in that sense.

Pa egzanp:

1. I love you with all my heart.
    Mwen renmen w ak tout kè mwen.

2. You are my heart.
     Ou se kè mwen.

3. You are my heart's desire.
     Ou se dezi kè mwen.

4. It's in the heart of the city.
    Li nan kè (or sant) vil la.

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Mandaly. "mo ket" ak grav aksan nan kou. Ki sa sa vle di? Mesi.

kèt is an interjection for Gee!, Wow!, Oh my! etc...
kèt also means church collection (money)
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Kisa ay la?

M pa fin konpran kesyon w lan nèt :)
M panse ou vle mande m ... Kisa ki ay la? oubyen Kisa ki lay la?

Ay se yon entèjeksyon
Lay se sa yo rele GARLIC nan lang Angle a.

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Is there a significant different between sevi ak and itilize? Mesi anpil!

Not a big difference.

Sèvi ak or itilize → to use, to make use of

kèk egzanp:

1. Nou pa sèvi ak elektrisite lakay mwen. Nou sèvi ak lanp.
2. Si ou fè Bondye plezi, li va sèvi ak ou pou fè travay li.
3. Nou pa sèvi ak bon chodyè pou bouyi pwa sèch.
4. Yo pran m sèvi temwen.
5. Moun sa yo pa konn sèvi ak recho elektrik. Si w pa montre yo kouman pou sèvi avè li y ap mete dife nan kay la.

In all these examples (and more...) you can replace sèvi ak (or sèvi in #4) with itilize.

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How do you say "stay safe" in Haitian Creole?

Stay safe.
Evite danje.
Pran prekosyon.

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How would you say to 'pull in your stomach' as in to suck it in? None of my translation have worked. No one understands me :(

Try saying "rantre vant ou"

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What's the creole translation for:If you aaked me,I would visited her.And:If you have asked me,,I would have visited her.Thank you.

If you ask me, I'll visit her.
si ou mande m, m'a vizite l

If you had asked me, I would have visit her.
Si w te mande m, m ta vizite l

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Sak pa se, Mandaly ! Now ur computer is working, how soon can I expect to see the next set of audio ? (kamsa hamnida)

Bonjou zanmi :)
Non the computer was not fixed. I got another one.
But we are re-doing the recordings. When I post them. I will try to post more than one at once to make up for lost time. I cannot promise this weekend. Hans (the male voice) is not available for the recording. Dakò :)

Thanks for your patience.

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Ok, this might be outside the scope of this blog, but I've got a question about this wording from a book. Speaking of Jesus, it says, "Poto mitan istwa a se yon ti bebe." (Istwa Jezi nan Bib la, p.17) Would this phrase, "poto mitan" not conjure up voodoo images for Haitian children?

No. It wouldn't.
Poto mitan means center pillar. The one that holds everything together.
Haitians use this word especially when they talk about a person that is important and everything goes back to (revolves around) him/her.

For example, I might say "Manman'm se poto mitan fanmi m. Si'l pa't la fanmi an ta gentan divize."

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How do you know when to use Sa, Sak, and Sa k'ap? Sak seems redundant.

"Sa" (contraction for "kisa")

"Sa'k" (or "sa ki") are contraction for "Kisa ki" basically translates "what" when used as a interrogation pronoun.
So the three are the same.

pa egzanp, ou kapab di:
1.
Kisa ki genyen?
or
Sa ki genyen?
or
Sa'k genyen?
What's going on?

2.
Kisa ki pase w?
or
Sa ki pase w?
or
Sa'k pase w?
What's going on with you?

3.
Eske ou konnen kisa ki te fè m fache?
or
Eske ou konnen sa ki te fè m fache?
or
Eske ou konnen sa'k te fè m fache?
Do you know what pissed me off?

By the same token, adding "ap" indicates the progressive form:
"Sa k'ap" (or "sa ki ap") is contraction for "Kisa ki ap".
pa egzanp, ou kapab di:
4.
Kisa ki ap fè tout bri sa a?
or
Sa ki ap fè tout bri sa a?
or
Sa k'ap fè tout bri sa a?
What is making all that noise?

Other examples (with different tenses)
5.
Kisa ki ta fè w kontan?
Sa ki ta fè w kontan?
Sa'k ta fè w kontan?
What would make you happy?

6.
Nanpwen moun ki konnen kisa ki pral pase demen?
Nanpwen moun ki konnen sa ki pral pase demen?
Nanpwen moun ki konnen sa k pral pase demen?
No one knows what will happen tomorrow?

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by chance, by accident

by chance (by accident) → pa aksidan, pa aza, pa kowensidans

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How do you use ma, wa, na vs map, wap, nap in the future? I found when using ma, wa, or na I was not understood.

You should be understood... Haitians use that combination of the contracted pronoun and 'a all the time. Are you using it as in the following?:
m'a (mwen va) → M'a wè ou demen (I'll see you tomorrow).
w'a (ou va) → W'a salye manman w pou mwen (Say hello to your mom for me)
n'a (nou va) → N'a wè pita. (We will see later or See you later)
l'a (li va) → L'a ba w machandiz la lè w peye l. (She ll give you the merchandise when you pay her)
y'a (yo va) → Y'a manje ansanm lè tout moun antre lakay. (They ll eat together when everyone comes home.)

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Eske genyen on diferrence avek zanmitye e zanmitay?

Zanmitye, lamitye, lanmitye, zanmitay se menm lide a. Se friendship ak camaraderie.

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Hi Mandaly! Are you familiar with the Bible story book in Creole called Istwa Jezi nan Bib la pou timoun? It's a beautiful book, but sometimes the Creole seems a little off. Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0615615910 I'd love to know what you think of it.

I actually have one copy of this book and have used it as a reading book with a beginner (learning Creole for just two months 5 days/week) He bought his own copy from Amazon. He did awesomely well with the help of a Creole language dictionary. A few word/term choices could have been different if this were written for foreigners learning the language, but considering that it was written for native Haitian children, I thought the H Creole used in there was pretty straightforward and effortless (re: font and typeset).

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I know that we discussed this already, but I want to know about this. Can I say or use 'yon pa...yon lòt pa...' as well. Example in both languages, "On the one hand I love the freedom of being single, but on the other hand the idea of being married and having a family is very attractive."

Good question.....

I would not be comfortable using "...yon pa, ... yon lòt pa"
We've always used "....yon bò (or yon kote), .... Yon lòt bò (yon lòt kote)"

If there's anything that does not click too well in that sentence, it's the following:
replace "de" with "pou" or "pou'm"
remove "se"

"Yon pa mwen renmen libète de pou viv kòm yon selibatè, men yon lòt pa mwen renmen lide de pou vin marye et gen yon fanmi ki se atiran."

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"Lew we yon moun devenn menm let Kaye kase tet li" what does this mean?

Lè w wè yon moun an devenn menm lèt kaye kase tèt li.
When misfortune follows someone, even curd milk would break (smash, split) his head (skull).

This is the same saying as:

Lè w wè yon moun an devenn menm po bannann (or sometimes they say: po patat) blese l.
When misfortune follows someone even a banana peel (or potato skin) will hurt him.

As you probably can already tell, this proverb is saying that when misfortunes follows someone, even the least little thing will imperil or injure him.

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Why have I been told not to say "ou dous" when someone does something nice? Does it not mean "You're sweet?"

Yes that is the literally translation, but it refers to sex.
People use it to express that something feels good. It is most commonly used, for example, during a massage, petting, or the sexual act.
Pa egzanp:
This feels so good.
It feels so good
Li dous.
Or
You feel so good
Ou dous.

If you want to say "You're sweet." when someone does something nice, then you'll say: "Ou janti." or "Ou trè janti."

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

what does estera mean

estera - rowdy, rambunctious
pa egzanp: "Bann estera!"

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

kijan ou di 'idea' 'organize(v)' 'fluent(adj)' ak 'translate(v)'

idea - lide
organize - öganize
fluent - kouran
translate - tradui

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Can you explain the meanings of fet and fet la? And all the accented variations? It seems like a very common word.

See the first three posts in the following link: Fè and Fèt

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

What does kadejak mean

kadejak - plundering, rape, violation

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

how do you say, "How come you won't tell me your name?"

How come... ? → kouman fè...?, kijan fè... ?, kòman fè ...?

How come you won't tell me your name?
Kouman fè ou p'ap di m non w?

Why won't you tell me you name?
Poukisa ou pa vle di m non w?

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Any idea what this word means? It sounds like "bah-low" (using English phonetics), but I guess it could be "pah-low" too. Context was a command to a child, as in "George, balo."

It sounds like H. Creole's "M pale w"
In this context, it sounds like an impatient parent talking to a stubborn child, giving him a warning (usually one more time):
George, m pale w.
George, I've warned you.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Will you be my wife? how to say it please. I have trouble with using "pral".

I hear you. I would have 'trouble' using "pral" here too :)

Will you be my wife?
Eske ou vle vin madanm mwen?

Would you be my wife?
Eske ou ta vle vin madanm mwen?

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

How do you express'the day after tomorrow'? jou a apre demen? or jou apre demen a?

Neither.
Just say apredemen.

1. N'a wè apredemen.
I'll see you the day after tomorrow.

2. N'ap rive la apredemen.
We'll get there the day after tomorrow.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

I hear when Haitians say mwen grangou it can be sexually suggestive. Is it true?

Really?
Whenever I think of the word "grangou", I usually think of hunger, famine, food and sometimes coconuts and cassava :) But now that you've got this into my head, I'm gonna have to think twice whenever a beggar in the street say "mwen grangou" :)
But seriously, I think that when 95% of Haitians say they're hungry, they're expressing a desire to eat.... food.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Pou ki sa ou di "ANNOU ALE" (Let's go) and then "KITE M KONNEN" (Let me know). Why can't you say "ANNOU KONNEN" for LET ME KNOW?

Let us and let me are two different things. Aren't they?

Let us (Let's) [sort of a command] in Haitian Creole is Annou, Ann, and sometimes Kite nou
pa egzanp:

1. Let's meet later.
    Annou rankontre pita.

2. Let's help them
    Ann ede yo

3. Let's pray.
   Annou lapriyè.

4. Let's get it done.
    Kite nou fini l.

It is different form Let me (permit me)

5. Let her come in.
    Kite l antre.

6. Let me see it.
    Kite m wè l.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Eske ou ka di mwen yon kote mwen ka jwenn kèk literati Ayisyen? Mwen te eseye chache sou entènet la men m pat jwenn twòp. Genyen kèk liv an Franse men m plis vle bagay an Kreyol. Petet pa genyen anpil.

Genyen anpil literati an Kreyòl. Sa depan ki nivo Kreyòl w'ap chache. Si w'ap chache liv sou entènèt la ou ka jwenn kèk, men ou p'ap janm konnen ki materyèl ki anndan yo vrèman. Li toujou pi bon pou ale nan magazen an anpèsòn enpi gade anndan liv yo pou genyen yon bon lide osijè yo. Si pa genyen magazen nan zòn kote ou abite, cheke Educavision.com, oubyen rele Libreri Mapou nan Miami, oubyen cheke Presses Nationales an Ayiti - Moun yo nan konpani sa yo kapab byen asiste ou nan telefòn pou jwenn sa w'ap chache a :)
Dakò.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

What is the difference between the word said and told in Creole? Are both just "te di"?

"di" in Creole can translate both "to tell", and "to say"

A. To tell (to give an account) → di, rakonte
pa egzanp:
1. To tell me - di mwen, or rakonte mwen
2. Tell her - di li, or rakonte li
3. Tell us please - di nou tanpri, or rakonte nou tanpri
4. Tell them the story - Rakonte yo istwa a.

5. He told us what happened.
    Li te rakonte nou sa ki te pase.
    or
    Li te di nou sa ki te pase.

B. To tell (to inform, to notify) - di
pa egzanp:
6. She told me to come early.
    Li di m vini bonè.
   Li te di m pou m vini bone.
   But you will never say:
   ~~Li te rakonte m vin bonè.~~

7. He told her to move out.
    Li te di l pou l demanaje.
    Never:
    Li te rakonte l pou l demanaje.

You also need to know:
to tell a lie → bay manti
pa egzanp:
8. He told us a big lie.
    Li ban nou yon gwo manti.

To tell about → pale osijè
Pa egzanp
9. Tell me about Jesus Christ.
     Pale m osijè Jezi Kri.

10. Tell me about her.
      Pale m osijè li.
      or even
      Pale m de li.

11. Tell me about your kids.
       Pale m osijè timoun ou yo.
       or even
      Pale me de timoun ou yo.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Bonswa! I just picked up the book "Haitian Creole for Adoptive Familes" for a little extra practice with some CD's. I am familar with PA meaning "negative, or not" and also with it being a possesive, but in this book they use it in a way I don't understand. ....

"Bonswa!
I just picked up the book "Haitian Creole for Adoptive Familes" for a little
extra practice with some CD's.

I am familiar with PA meaning "negative, or not" and also with it being a
possesive, but in this book they use it in a way I don't understand.

For instance the following are their translations:
Are you hungry?
Ou pa grangou?
Doesn't that mean "you are not hungry?"

Do you need help:
Ou pa bezwen m' ede ou?
Again, doesn't that mean, you don't want me to help you?

Do you want more?
Ou pa vle plis?
Again I would assume that means "you don't want more"
I thought the correct translation would be more like:
Eske ou vle plis?

What am I missing?"

ANSWER:
Your are right, this would be confusing to any H. Creole learner who is expecting a simple interrogative sentence.
What they are using in this book is a negative interrogative sentence.
I'm not sure why they chose to go that route, but your "correct translation" (at the end of your question) should be the one to start with if you're learning the language.

Ou pa grangou? (Eske ou pa grangou?)
Aren't you hungry?

Ou pa bezwen m ede ou? (Eske ou pa bezwen m ede w?)
Don't you need me to help you?

Ou pa vle plis? (Eske ou pa vle plis?)
Don't you want more?

Dakò Mèsi :)
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

how would you say in hc "today is your brother's birthday" thanks!

Today is your brother's birthday.
Jodi a se fèt frè ou.
Oubyen
Jodi a se anivèsè frè ou.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Li mete soulye # 6½. Can you express "#61/2" in hc(spelling) ?Thanks ( kamsahamnida)

6 1/2 → sis edmi

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Do you know of any good places on the internet for hearing H. Creole to keep your ear sharp?

Youtube, Haitian internet radios, Haitian news online....
Sometimes the news is in French, sometimes it's in Creole.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

From now on I am all yours

From now on → apati kounye a, apati jodi a, koumanse kounye a, kòmanse jodi a, anpatan kounye a, anpatan Jodi a

From now on I am all yours.
Apati kounye a mwen se pa w.
Apati jodi a mwen se kinan w :)

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Intense, intensive?

intense → fò, ekstrèm, pasyonan
intensive → konsantre, konplè, konpreyansif

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

le jew ap bat ki sa li vle di

O O! mezanmi!
Ayisyen di lè je ap bat sa vle di lapli pral tonbe oubyen ou gen yon moun ki pral mouri.
Mwen se moun Akayè, se sa mwen konn tande :)

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Bonjou! M gen yon kesyon sou diferans fason yo a pou eksprime yon ......

"Bonjou! M gen yon kesyon sou diferans fason yo a pou eksprime yon
posesif. Patikilyement, poukisa nou pa itilize mo a "pa" toujou pou eksprime
posesif. Pa egzanp:
Kreyol se lang pa m.
Kreyol se lang mwen.

Oubyen
Se te chapo pa l.
Se te chapo l.

Eske gen yon diferans? Pafwa m wè atik yo ki itiliz 'pa' pou yon posesif e lot
fwa m pa wè l. Poukisa?
Mesi anpil pou blog ou (pa w?)! Li t'ap ede m anpil!"

ANSWER:

Toude fason ou itilize pou posesif la bon.
Lè ou itilize "pa" kòm posesif an Kreyòl, se sa ou rele an Angle POSSESSIVE PRONOUN
pa egzanp:
Machin nan se pa m. - The car is mine.
Eske timoun sa yo se pa w? → Are these kids yours?

E lè ou itilize lòt pwonon yo, se sa ou rele POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE an Angle.
Se machin mwen. → It's my car.
Se machin pa m. → The car, it's mine. or This car is mine.
Sa yo se timoun mwen yo. → These are my kids.
Timoun sa yo se pa m. → These kids are mine.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Eske gen yon diferans ant "gen" e "genyen" pou itilize yo? Kilè me dwe itilize youn e kilè m dwe itilize lòt? Pa egzanp, nan lòt blog ou, m te wè yon atik sou bidonvil yo an Ayiti ki di: "Pa genyen elektrisite, pa genyen dlo potab, pa genyen latrin...” Poukisa se pa "pa gen elektrisite, pa gen..pa gen"? Yon gran mesi!

Dakò :)

"GEN" ak "GENYEN" vle di menm bagay la. Ou kapab boukante youn pou lòt nan nenpòt fraz. Men ou pa kabab itilize "GEN" nan fen yon fraz.

Pa egzanp:
Ou kapab di:
Se pa sa ou genyen (That isn't what's wrong with you)
Men ou pa kapab di:
Se pa sa ou gen.

Ou kapab di:
Se yon sèl dola mwen genyen.
Men ou pa dwe di:
Se yon sèl dola mwen gen.

Men nan atik "Bidonvil" la. Otè a sanble te vle itilize anfaz (emphasis), se pou sa li sanble pa't kontrakte mo "GENYEN" an. Men, sètènman, ou ta kapab ekri "...pa gen elektrisite, pa gen..., pa gen....". Li ta kòrèk si ou ta ekri li konsa tou.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

m ta renmen se yon ti bwa ki pou debouchem pito poum pa tro senyen My try is” "I would like a Little girl who ....prefer one not tight” Please, translate for me

No....not really :)

M ta renmen se yon ti bwa ki pou debouche'm pito pou'm pa trò senyen.

I would like to be pierced with a little twig instead so I don't bleed too much.

ti bwa - twig, small piece of wood, small branch
senyen - to bleed
debouche - to open up

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Hello there, What's the difference between the two sentences:"I'll go unless he phones first,"and I Won't go unless he phones fisrt."THANK YOU.

Unless you wanted the Haitian Creole grammar for these sentences, I think this is a question for English teacher - Not a Haitian Creole teacher.
But I'll think you what I think anyway :)
The second sentence makes sense. The first one seems unfinished.

I'll go, unless he phones first (then I won't go?)
Mwen va ale, men si l telefone anvan sa (mwen pa prale?)

I won't go unless he phones first. (Basically: If he calls I will go. But if he doesn't call, then I guess I will not go :)
Toutotan li pa telefone mwen pa prale.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

"San" with or without further negation: "L ap jwenn ni san li pa kite kay la" or "L ap jwenn ni san li kite kay la" ?

In this example you do need the negation "pa".
You'll use "pa" if you use a subject after "san".
L'ap jwenn ni san li pa kite kay la. (He'll find it without leaving the house)
Nou pati san nou pa konnen kote nou t 'a prale. (We left without knowing where we were going.)
Li monte machin nan sa l pa peye. (She got into the car without paying)

But without the subject you may omit "pa":
L'ap jwenn ni san kite kay la.
Nou pati san konnen kote nou prale.
Li monte machin nan san peye.
Same translation as above.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

what is a maleng?

Maleng (maling, blese, java) → open wound, open sore

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

"bay yon replik", doesn't replik mean "reply"? But in creole bay yon replik seems to mean to give a bad answer. why BAD ANSWER?

Bay yon replik → to talk back.

You might have heard bay yon replik as in to give a corresponding reply, or showing affront by talking back especially when it comes to children.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

When can I expect the next set of audio ?

I am working on that. Sorry for the delay. The laptop that I use for editing broke (this laptop has my editing applications and the group of audio I was working on in the hard drive) - I brought it to the seller to be fixed, but they had to ship it out..... Give it a couple more weeks :)

Ps: This laptop is my favorite. It's an HP which I named Henry Paul :) It's got many many documents of mine which I did not save on a flash drive....sigh.

So... a couple of weeks :)

Kenbe la.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

I like sound of that....Please translate that, M

Unfortunately we cannot translate this literally:

You might say:
M renmen lide sa a.
M renmen sijesyon sa a.
M pa fin rayi l non.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

what does manke dega mean?

manke dega - to show lack of respect toward someone, to be rude to, to sass

1. Ou pa respekte papa w. W'ap manke l dega.
You don't respect your father. You're being rude to him.

2. W'ap manke m dega.
You're being disrespectful to me.

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Kote ou ye konsa? / Kote ou ye? / ki kote ou ye? are the same question?

Yes, they all mean the same thing.

Kote yo ye konsa? → So, where are they?
Kote yo ye menm*? → Where are they anyway?
Kote yo ye or Ki kote yo ye? → Where are they?
and also...
Kibò yo ye? → Where are they?

*Other ways to use MENM (which seems to mean ANYWAY)
Kijan ou ye menm? - How are you anyway?
Sa ou fè menm? - What's you been up to anyway?

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Madanm, when I heard the sentence (Nou pral ale Jacmel demen maten avek ou." The speaker actually says sound-wise, "prale" for "pral ale". I know this is a spoken contraction, but is not this confususing to the listener? Instead, I pronounced it "pral ale". Also, if one were to say in spoken context, "prale ale", would it sound all right or sound funny? Mesi.

No, It would not sound funny.
When using the verb "ale" and the future marker "pral" we tend to do that.
Most of the time we do say "prale"; but once in a while we'd say "pral ale"

You will hear it most often when someone is referring to some "event" that is going to be happening soon.
Mwen pral ale talè.
I'm going to be going soon.
I'm going to be leaving soon.

as opposed to:

Mwen prale talè.
I'm leaving soon.

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

kijan ou di 'immature', 'grow up' 'get your life together' ak 'welfare (like foodstamps)' an kreyol

immature → kannannan, krebete, anfanten
grow up (stop acting like a child) → sispann aji tankou yon timoun; sipann fè kannannan; sispann fè nayif; mete granmoun sou ou.
Get your life together (Get your act together?) → Òganize tèt ou; Ranje lavi w; Mete lòd nan lavi w; Ranmase kò w.

food stamps (welfare) → equivalent to èd leta, or sinistre
food stamps - foudstanp
welfare - wèlfè

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Is this a good translation for the song "Give Thanks"? I couldn't find it online so I made it myself, and my Creole is not very good. Thank you!

"Bay gras avek kè kontan
Bay gras a Papa Bondye
Bay gras paske Li te bay Jezikri, piti Li
Bay gras avek kè kontan
Bay gras a Papa Bondye
Bay gras paske Li te bay Jezikri, piti Li
Epi se pou fèb la di “mwen fò”
Se pou pòv la di “Mwen rich”
Poutèt bagay Seyè te fè pou nou
Epi se pou fèb la di “mwen fò”
Se pou pòv la di “Mwen rich”
Poutèt bagay Seyè te fè pou nou ..."

I find it to be an great translation.

The only thing I would change is line 9 and 12.

I would translate it as: Pou bagay Seyè a fè pou nou.

So it would be POU instead of POUTÈT

Dakò :)

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

what does it mean to "remet demisyon"

to resign, to submit a resignation

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Yon lot keksyon anko souple - konsenan mo " vre " pafwa nou jwenn li ak accent : vrè e pafwa san accent eske w kapab eksplike nou pouki e komen aprann ki lè nou dwe sevi ak accent e ki lè accent pa nesesè ? Men kek egsanp kote nou pa konnen si se bon ou non. . .mesi anko pou ede nou nan translasyon n ap fè la. Yon ti reg nou jwenn (si se bon ou non ?) se lè yon nom vini aprè mo "vre" se ak accent nou sèvi men si se yon nom avan mo "vre" a se san accent - eske nou korek lè nou fè konsa?

Yon lot keksyon anko souple - konsenan mo " vre " pafwa nou jwenn li ak accent : vrè e pafwa san accent eske w kapab eksplike nou pouki e komen aprann ki lè nou dwe sevi ak accent e ki lè accent pa nesesè ?

Men kek egsanp kote nou pa konnen si se bon ou non. . .mesi anko pou ede nou nan translasyon n ap fè la.

Yon ti reg nou jwenn (si se bon ou non ?) se lè yon nom vini aprè mo "vre" se ak accent nou sèvi men si se yon nom avan mo "vre" a se san accent - eske nou korek lè nou fè konsa?

Men kek egsanp kote nou pa konnen si se bon ou non. . .mesi anko pou ede nou nan translasyon n ap fè la.

Yon ti reg nou jwenn (si se bon ou non ?) se lè yon nom vini aprè mo "vre" se ak accent nou sèvi men si se yon nom avan mo "vre" a se san accent - eske nou korek lè nou fè konsa?

Examples of Vre with or without accent

1 - Jezi te fèt kot yo bay bèt manje, Pou moutre nou yon vrè imilite.

2 - Ann sede lavi pou swiv Li, Ak yon kè e chwa ki vrè.

3 - Poukisa ou pa te kriye E chache lapè vre

4 - Libète nou, Li te peye, Si nou repanti tou vre.

5 - “Vini swiv Mwen,” L’ap rele nou, “Mwen, sèl vrè chemen an;

6 - Plètil, koute pawòl Jezi, L’ap ba ou vre repo:

7 - E lavi m’, san rezèv, mwen te ba Li. Paske Jezi te renmen mwen vrè,

8 - Richès yo ki dire lontan, Jezi sèl ka bay sa vre.

ANSWER:

"Vrè" and "vre" have the same meaning.

"vrè" with the accent is imitating the French pronounciation "vrai".

"vrè" and "vre" are atributes. and they mean "TRUE" or "REAL"

example (from your #1 and #2 examples):

1. "...ak yon kè e chwa ki vrè." → with a heart and choice that is true

2. "...pou montre nou yon vrè imilite" → to show us true humility.

But we tend to use "vre" without the accent as an adverb too.

example (from your #3, #4, and #8 examples)
3. Poukisa ou pa te kriye E chache lapè vre? → Why didn't you cry and truly seek peace?

4. "... Jezi sèl ka bay sa vre" → Only Jesu can truly give it

5. "...Si nou repanti tou bon vre." → I you truly repent

Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

Bonjou! Learn to Speak Haitian Creole